1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a measuring device with at least one housing and at least one electronic unit, wherein the housing has at least one electronic access to the electronic unit, wherein a first longitudinal axis extends through the electronic access, wherein the housing has a sensor access for connecting to a sensor unit, wherein a second longitudinal axis extends through the sensor access, wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis span an orientation plane, wherein the electronic unit has at least one printed circuit board and wherein the printed circuit board lies essentially in a printed circuit board plane.
2. Description of Related Art
In modern process automation, measuring instruments are used in determining or monitoring of process variables such as flow, fill level, pH and oxygen content. The measuring devices have a sensor unit, which generates a measured value or raw data for the measured value based on the measuring process and the relevant process variable, and an electronic unit, which, for example, controls the measurement, is used for power supply of the sensor unit, or processes the measured values for communication with a fieldbus. The electronic unit is typically housed in a housing to which the sensor unit is connected. Appropriately designed measuring devices are found in the prior art, for example, German patent DE 197 82 057 B4 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,526, European Patent EP 0 775 292 B1 and corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,804, and in German Patent Application Publication DE 101 26 654 A1.
The measuring devices are usually installed directly on containers or tubes, and are therefore subject to heavy loads. Effects of temperature on the electronic components in the prior art, for example, are reduced in that corresponding long housing sections are used between the process and the electronics. Mechanical stresses due to vibrations that can occur, for example, by filling a container or as are generated by, e.g., mixers in the container, in particular, affect the contact points of the electrical components on the printed circuit boards. In the German translation of the European Patent DE 60 2006 000 146 T2, additional solder points are thus generated, for example, at non-conducting locations of the components. A multiple mechanical connection between the components and the circuit boards is thus created. The implementation of the additional solder points, that are not required electronically, goes hand in hand with an additional effort in design and manufacturing.